Polio this week – GPEI
Polio this week

Headlines 

  • The summary report following last week’s meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) is available here.  On polio eradication, SAGE expressed concern that despite the increase in wild poliovirus in the endemic areas, there are no visible efforts towards transformative change in the eradication strategy; expressed concern at circulating variant polioviruses (cVDPVs) and their expansion into new areas, including in European countries and, stressed the need for increased efforts to improve routine immunization and reach zero-dose children.  It reiterated its support for safe cessation of bivalent OPV and agreed with plans for pre-cessation vaccination campaigns based on the proposed methods to determine the need for such campaigns.  SAGE endorsed the proposed risk-grading framework as a guide for countries considering transitioning to IPV-only routine immunization schedules and urged WHO to initiate consultations on this topic with its Member States and Regional Offices.  Finally, SAGE revised existing recommendations based on updated evidence and concluded that a three-dose schedule of the IPV and whole-cell pertussis-containing hexavalent vaccine starting at 6 weeks of age or later is adequate.  The full report will be published over the coming weeks.
  • Gaza outbreak response video – please click here to view a short video on last month’s polio outbreak response campaign implemented in Gaza.  The campaign reached more than 600,000 children under the age of ten years.

Summary of new polioviruses this week, cases and positive environmental isolates:

  • Pakistan:  12 WPV1-positive environmental samples
  • Angola:  one cVDPV2 case and one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
  • Chad:  one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
  • Côte d’Ivoire:  one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
  • Djibouti:  three cVDPV2-positive environmental samples
  • Ethiopia:  one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
  • Nigeria:  one cVDPV2 case
  • Somalia:  four cVDPV2 cases and one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
  • Yemen:  five cVDPV2-positive environmental samples
Country updates as of 19 March 2025

More information on the countries that have reported cases and/or environmental samples this week.

  • No WPV1 cases are reported this week.  The total number of WPV1 cases in 2025 is six.  The total number of WPV1 cases for 2024 is 74.
  • 12 WPV1-positive environmental samples were reported this week, collected in February, from Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

  • One cVDPV2 case was reported this week, with onset of paralysis on 12 December 2024, from Benguela.  The total number of cases reported in 2024 is eight.
  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, collected on 31 January 2025, from Benguela.

  • No cVDPV2 cases were reported this week.  The total number of cVDPV2 cases in 2024 is 39, and in 2025 it is three.
  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, collected on 24 December, from N’Djamena.

  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, from Abidjan 2, collected on 6 February.

  • No cVDPV2 case was reported this week.  There is one case from 2025.  There are no cases in 2024.
  • Three cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week, collected in January, from Arta and Djibouti.

  • No cVDPV2 cases were reported this week.  The total number of cases in 2024 is 42.
  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, collected on 20 December, from Addis Ababa.

  • One cVDPV2 case was reported this week, with onset of paralysis on 23 January, from Jigawa.  The total number of cVDPV2 cases for 2024 is 98.  The total number of cVDPV2 cases for 2025 is seven.
  • No cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week.

  • Four cVDPV2 cases were reported this week, with onset of paralysis in December, from Bari province. There have been seven cases reported in 2024.
  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, collected on 5 January, from South Mudug.

  • No cVDPV2 cases were reported this week.  The total number of cVDPV2 cases in 2024 is 37.
  • Five cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week, collected from August to December 2024, from Aden and Hadramoat Almukllaa.